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Join the ServerGern, operating under the guise of Quade, had locked herself inside her room within the Serpentman Royal Capital.
Before her lay an array of precious materials. Some had been gifted by the Witch Guild before their departure.
Others she had amassed during her time among the Serpentfolk, leveraging Quade’s name.
Gern wearily rubbed her temples. For the past three days, her sole ambition had been to concoct potions capable of amplifying her own power.
These were potions that had existed in her previous life. However, as Gern had already reached the sixth stage of power then, such amplification potions offered little benefit to her.
Consequently, she hadn’t delved deeply into their study. It was ironic, she mused, that she now found herself in need of them.
With no other option, she embarked on a meticulous process of experimentation. Fortunately, in her Serpentwoman form, she possessed a unique talent for pharmacology.
After two continuous days of trials, she was convinced that success was within her grasp.
“Xiao Ying, the lizard’s tail.”
“Oh, coming!”
Xiao Ying, who had been assisting Gern all this time, responded promptly. She frantically rummaged through the numerous ingredients.
Soon, she located the precise material Gern required.
Gern tossed the final ingredient into the large cauldron. She then gently ladled out a scoop of the orange potion, slightly murky with impurities, and fed it to a black rat in a cage.
Before long, the rat began to react. Its strength seemingly enhanced, it effortlessly gnawed through the cage Gern had fashioned.
Witnessing this, Gern finally broke into a delighted smile.
‘It seems this amplification potion is complete,’ she thought. ‘Though, I wonder how potent its effects are.’
Pondering, Gern manifested a hand entirely composed of ice crystals. With a swift motion, she slapped it towards the rat.
*Splat!*
Blood splattered, and the rat instantly ceased to live, reduced to a mere pulp.
‘Hmm, there’s certainly an enhancement, but the degree of amplification doesn’t seem significant.’
Still, something was better than nothing. Even with multiple life-saving artifacts on her person, Gern couldn’t fully set her mind at ease.
After all, this was a secret realm. Having experienced one such journey before, she naturally understood the perilous dangers within.
“Big Sister, is it finished?”
As Gern pondered, Xiao Ying suddenly spoke from beside her.
Gern affectionately stroked the little girl’s head. She then knelt down, meeting Xiao Ying’s gaze directly.
“Mm-hmm, it’s a success.”
During this period, Xiao Ying’s assistance had been invaluable, allowing Gern to achieve twice the results with half the effort.
“Xiao Ying helped a lot this time. What reward would you like?”
Upon hearing this, a flicker of excitement crossed Xiao Ying’s tender face.
“There are rewards?!”
“Of course there are.”
“Yay!”
“I want to go shopping! And eat lots and lots of delicious food!”
Xiao Ying danced with joy, her small hands waving excitedly. A child’s emotions were always so simple and pure.
As Gern watched her, a sudden thought of raising a daughter surfaced in her mind.
She shook her head, then instinctively glanced down at her stomach.
‘Ah, having a baby… that would probably hurt a lot.’
‘No… wait, what am I even thinking?!’
Gern shook her head vigorously. She was certain it was due to her prolonged use of a female body recently.
It was making her mind feel a little unhinged.
“Ahem, Xiao Ying, go get ready. I’ll take you out for a stroll later.”
It would be a good change of pace. Rushing to research the amplification potion’s creation method for the past two days had thoroughly stifled Gern, to the point her mind felt addled.
****
The Serpentman Royal Capital covered a vast area, considered quite large even among the Serpentfolk. Indeed, it ranked as a major city within the entire beastmen tribes.
However, compared to the sturdy castles constructed by humans, these cities still appeared rather small.
In terms of architectural expertise for cities, it was challenging to find another race on the entire continent that could rival humans.
Many of the Serpentman cities, in fact, drew heavily from human designs. They then integrated elements of their own native culture.
This blend resulted in a somewhat unconventional appearance for the city, imbued with a strong exotic flair.
Outside this rather imposing city, two graceful figures arrived at the city gates, one after the other. They stood facing each other.
These two were Lilia and Aivia, who had been locked in a standoff earlier. Throughout their journey, they had engaged in no small amount of overt and covert rivalry.
By now, their strength was largely depleted. To prepare for the dangers that might lie ahead, they had reached a temporary truce.
After all, this was still Serpentman territory. As outsiders, they were highly susceptible to being targeted by the Serpentmen.
“I got here first. I’m going ahead of you.”
Aivia stepped forward, positioning herself in front of Lilia. Lilia merely shrugged indifferently.
‘Even if this one enters the city, she’ll never accurately pinpoint Gern’s location,’ she thought. ‘I, however, possess a pendant that can track Gern’s whereabouts,’ she mused. ‘There’s no way I’ll lose to this woman.’
“Go ahead if you must. I wouldn’t stoop to the level of someone who lacks martial ethics and ran off first.”
“You!”
Aivia’s chest heaved with indignation. However, she was not skilled with words and truly couldn’t contend with Lilia in a verbal sparring match.
‘And now I can’t even beat her in a fight, damn it!’
Aivia shot a resentful glance at Lilia. Then, without another look, she strode into the city.
Lilia scoffed dismissively, then followed close behind, entering the city herself.
The city guards, spotting two outsiders, conducted an exceptionally thorough inspection. After all, it was a sensitive period, and this was the Serpentfolk’s royal capital. Such meticulous scrutiny was entirely normal.
The surrounding Serpentfolk, observing two stunningly beautiful women, saw many male Serpentmen cast dangerous glances their way.
Lilia merely gave them a dismissive glance. The aura of a near-fourth-tier mage emanating from her instantly intimidated those who dared to stare, making them avert their gaze.
After all this, Lilia realized Aivia had already moved far ahead. She checked her pendant, then looked in Aivia’s direction, a slight frown creasing her brow.
‘It seems this woman also has a way of tracking Gern’s whereabouts,’ she realized. ‘No, I need to move quickly.’
Lilia finally felt a surge of urgency. She quickened her pace, catching up to Aivia.
Hearing movement behind her, Aivia looked back at Lilia. She then scoffed mockingly.
“Copycat.”
“Hmph?”
Lilia sneered, choosing not to engage with the vexatious woman. ‘If a dog bites a person, the person wouldn’t bite the dog back, would they?’ she thought. ‘That would just make them both dogs.’
****
Following their respective methods, the two women searched for a while. They eventually arrived at a well-ordered alleyway.
Though the alley appeared somewhat humble, that was only in comparison to Theoviga Academy.
Based on what they had observed throughout their journey, this small alley was already considered quite respectable within the Serpentfolk domain.
They continued along the alley. Not far ahead, they saw what appeared to be an argument unfolding.
Lilia checked the pendant in her hand, then looked forward. She realized that Gern, the person she sought, was among those involved in the dispute ahead.
The adventure continues! If you loved this chapter, Crow's Golden Fragment is a must-read. Click here to start!
Read : Crow's Golden Fragment
